WARBURTONS DISTRIBUTION CENTRE
WARBURTONS DISTRIBUTION CENTRE
FMCG Project
CLIENT NAME Liberty Properties
END USER CLIENT Warburtons – Family Bakers
SCHEME NAME Viking Park Plot 1 – Warburtons
VALUE £5m
START October 2020
COMPLETION July 2021
PARTNERS RGP Architects, Spring & Co EA, Tier Structural Engineers
PROJECT DETAILS New build development of single storey, 50,000sq ft distribution centre including 10,000sqft of high-quality office accommodation arranged over two floors. The project featured extensive concrete HGV yards along with separate car parking and external landscaping.
TESTIMONIAL
Mark Church, Development Director at Liberty said: “We are passionate about bringing high quality industrial space to Widnes which is also a key factor in local job creation. Our delivery partners Hargreaves Contracting were selected because they are also committed to local employment both within their supply chain and through their in-house teams. Hargreaves have demonstrated they can deliver on time and within budget and Warburtons were delighted with the quality of the build and standard of finish. Having a leading FMCG brand as a flagship tenant has helped to secure further demand from other manufacturers and distribution businesses who need a Wirral base.”
BRIEF
Complete redevelopment of a former industrial site on the Wirral which was highly contaminated through years of industrial manufacturing. The client’s brief included an extensive remediation strategy, removing contamination prior to complete transformation in to a high-quality contemporary logistics and distribution facility for a leading FMCG brand. The site is the size of 3 football pitches and is part of the Mersey Multimodal Gateway development.
SOCIAL VALUE
The site was given the go ahead by Planners at Halton Council because the application was associated with industry and employment creating 150 new jobs. This project also meets Halton’s Core Strategy Local Plan which includes recruiting and local economic prosperity.
CHALLENGE: ABNORMALS AFFECTING SITE VIABILITY
This has been a challenging site due to high level of Galligu present in the ground. Galligu is an unfortunate waste product of sodium carbonate which was prevalent in the late 19th Century in the Widnes and St Helens region of North West England. The rapid growth of the chemical industry dictated the requirement for sodium carbonate however the waste material generated through the production process was a major problem for ground contamination. Dry Galligu is similar in texture to silt however an increased water content or speedy physical handling transforms the material from a solid to a liquid mass, making it difficult to control. Galligu can cause problems for living organisms as its bi-product is arsenic. The team at Hargreaves had to ensure it did not enter the water course or seep into the Mersey.
ACTION
Full remediation strategy prior to any digging or excavation taking place
Construction of Extensive Retaining Walls
Redesigning Drainage to lift the base layer above Galligu level
Safely capping the Galligu layer with cement lime to stabilise the entire site
This ensured zero waste to landfill or necessity for contaminates to be disposed of
OUTCOME
The potentially expensive removal of Galligu was avoided ensuring the project was commercially viable. We also protected the health and safety of our construction teams and future building users by safely capping this hazardous substance ensuring is did not pose a threat.
